Spare Parts
by Alicyn Wonderland
Summary: If it looks human, and seems human is it truly human? Ratchet has found himself a piece of trouble, but is this strange new creature his salvation, or merely another precious friend to be lost to Decepticon forces.
1. Chapter 1

Earth, some people called it a mudball, a worthless planet, the only thing Ratchet knew was that it wasn't home. Cybertron, an end to this war and a return to a dying planet, it was a flaw in his programming that he loved the desolate place so. But it was home, his home, where there were no humans and everything was easy to understand. Ratchet didn't like humans, they were soft mushy and easy to step on and end their life. Transformers could be put back together reanimated, but humans could never have their life returned to them. In truth, their ability to die so easily is why Ratchet stayed away from them too many of his friends had died already. So throughout the chronicles of Transformer and human history rare sight or sound has been heard from our hero until these words.

It was one morning, early according to the perspectives of humans, when she was found by Ratchet. Or he was found by her. He sat down to look at the sunlight just now starting to streak across the sky. The one thing he liked about this world was the sun, it gave energy to everything perhaps the Sun was like their Energon. As it peeked over the horizon even Ratchet couldn't help but sigh, "How beautiful."

"Yep, it's very pretty. I like it, reminds me of home."

Ratchet leaned on his arm, "It brings that sort of peace doesn't it?"

It was only after he said this that it occurred to him that someone was speaking to him. Ratchet was left alone often and had imaginary commentaries in his head, but this was the first time he had actually heard a voice. He turned one way to look and then another, the voice had been loud, close by, but definitely human. He realized suddenly where she was with a single movement.

"Hello." She had managed to climb his head and rest on his chevron. It was by instinct he batted her away from him. Given the fragile nature of the human race it was only obvious he thought he broke the thing, not knowing what to do he took her back to the Ark.

Sunstreaker, Prowl and Sideswipe all stood over her, Ratchet paced back and forth in the background, waiting for one of the humans to come and examine her.

"She doesn't look that funny way humans look when they're broken." Sideswipe commented, pushing her a little bit with his finger.

"That isn't necessarily an indication of heavy internal damage." Prowl responded, "Humans are incredibly delicate creatures; a single-celled organism can terminate a humans lifespan."

"I just think it's hilarious that Ratchet did it." Sunstreaker laughed, only to be struck by his comrades, "I'm just saying if Prime found out."

Ratchet continued to pace his mind was going through various simulations at once, if she was well known by the humans the Autobots would be just as bad as the Decepticons, the delicate balance they had protected for all of these years would be lost. All because of him.

Ratchet turned to Sideswipe, "Why isn't that human here yet?"

"Calm down Ratchet, you know how long humans take to do everything, it's not like Spike can reveal our secret base to anyone you know? Besides, we still have to sneak him in past Prime."

Ratchet waved his hand he didn't want to think about it anymore, he was going to singlehandedly fail the Autobot mission with the humans. Why had he panicked? Why had he done this? Just as the humans arrived he was working himself into a frenzy.

"I brought my dad, he's the only person I could really trust and he knows more about this stuff than anyone else we knew. Chip came along as well."

Surprisingly enough it only took Chip a moment to figure out what was wrong with her.

"Well, she doesn't have any fractures or broken bones. What exactly did you do to her Ratchet?"

"She was on my face so I swatted her and then she hit a tree and didn't move anymore."

Chip's face turned white, "Then logically yes, this should have killed her. Yet I can find no indication of broken bones or internal damage."

"Then what's wrong with her Chip?" Spike interjected.

"I don't know, maybe we should get her to a hospital."

But when they leaned down to take her off the table her eyes flew open, and she stared up at them, surprising the whole lot.

"Well, hello." The female yawned and sat up, "Is it night already?"

Her nonchalant manner wasn't what surprised the humans it was her eyes, her demeanor and the fact that she was not speaking English, but communicating in the electronic language of the Transformers.

"Oh, how terribly rude of me," she began again in English, "I thought there were only Transformers here."

With that everyone turned to Ratchet expectantly, as if to ask him what to do next.

Prime leaned down to look at the girl, she looked entirely human, and if Prime hadn't heard for himself he would've thought his comrades to be delusional or mischievous.

"Child what is your name?"

"Alice." She stood tall in waist high blue jeans, a blue and white striped shirt. Her whole body structure gave the appearance of fragility. But she stood confidently and a smile lingered on her face as if everything amused her.

"Alice, I am Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots we are from the planet–"

"Cybertron I know, I've been there."

Prime stopped for a moment, it even took him aback. "You have visited the planet Cybertron? I'm sure I would've remembered such a thing."

"We didn't stay long, and we only met one Audiobot."

"Autobot," Prime corrected, "So you are not from this planet."

"I suppose you could say that." Alice began fidgeting, moving from side to side.

"Why are you here?"

"I was traveling with a companion with the ability to move between space and time. She left me here."

"I'm sorry, as Autobots we normally do not interfere with the actions of other sentient beings. However, if you'd like we can return you to your home planet."

"That would be impossible; even if you could travel there it might not be the right time for me and I could throw off the balance of Light and the Darkness."

Prime had heard mention of creatures of this, not actual beings but energies like that of the Matrix, that could take on material forms. It was only an instinct that they could be related but at the moment Prime did not pursue the issue.

"Then I must apologize for our rudeness, Ratchet often times does not know how to deal with organic lower life forms. If we caused any harm to you please allow us to apologize."

"No worries, I'm not much of an organic life form myself." Alice replied with a smile.

Chip took this time to interject, "Where exactly have you lived up until now? I mean it isn't like you could just fit in anywhere."

"I kind of walk around you know, hanging out."

"Can I leave this Child called Alice to you Chip?" Prime leaned down to talk to the young boy a little better, "The Decepticons have been searching for something lately and it is the duty of the Autobots to find out what."

"I understand." Chip replied, he was more interested to know the young girl than the Autobots anyway.

That was the last they saw of Alice, at least until the Decepticons interfered.


	2. Chapter 2

"Spike to the Ark, Spike to the Ark! Autobots can you hear me?"

"Whoa whoa, cool your jets Spike, what's the scurry?" it was Jazz who answered the distress call.

"Chip his house...his house was attacked by Decepticons."

Jazz immediately sprung up, he put in the necessary codes to have the Autobots all gather in the command room and soon a collection of them were ready to roll out and rescue the intelligent youngster from the evil clutches of Megatron.

It was not Megatron but an unlikely band of Decepticons led by Starscream, Jazz was too busy concentrating on where Chip was. He called out the young boy's name as he dodged though rubble of houses, all things they would have to clean up later. Bolts of fire occasionally strayed his way until finally he found Chip. Having the boy in his protection he turned to face any foe that had dared follow him. But the Decepticons were out numbered, or perhaps found their prey.

Ravage stood poised over Alice arm up threatening to swipe her with his hand when Jazz fired. Alice merely stood calmly as Jazz rushed over to her and Ravage scampered away from the charging Autobot.

"Hello."

"What's got your circuitry mixed up girl?"

"Don't worry, they're leaving." She stared calmly over to the battle, which just as she said, ending very shortly with the high pitched whine of Starscream. "That was fun wasn't it?"

Once Chip revived in the hospital he told Spike the message, which was carried to the Autobot leader, which once again put Alice in front of the Autobots.

"Why were the Decepticon forces after Alice?"

Alice wasn't talking now she was too amused by Wheeljacks contraptions that had been hooked up to her.

"It seems that she's emitting some sort of unidentifiable energy." Wheeljack replied, everyone knew he was tickled by the whole situation. "And watch this."

Wheeljack turned to Alice and nodded, suddenly the girl got and excited determined look on her face bending her arms and focusing she managed to surge electricity around her and then a field like that of plasma which enveloped her. Her hands flew to her sides and a light energy dispersed in a tight circle around her.

"Wasn't that cool Wheeljack?"

"He-he, yeah it was." Wheeljack trailed off as he caught Prime's unheard signals.

Prime folded his arms, "Why didn't she do this before?"

"You didn't ask me to." Alice flopped down on the ground feet spread out in front of her and leaned back nonchalantly. She now seemed a little bored with the situation.

"It is as I feared Wheeljack, Alice is a being similar to that of our Matrix, an entity of energy not matter. The Decepticon forces are after her energy and she is not safe and neither is any human that harbors her. However, she is not human and can be removed from this planet."

"No." Alice stood up and looked, for the first time, quite serious, "My purpose is here, whether I am captured by the Decepticons or not, I shall remain on Earth until I serve my purpose."

"Miss Alice, don't be unreasonable." Wheeljack leaned to her, "What shall we do then to keep your energy from the Decepticon forces?"

It was Prime who finally came up with a plan, there was only one thing that needs to be done and Wheeljack knew exactly how to do it.

The science labs only entrance was through the medical lab, perhaps this was out of convenience, Wheeljack never questioned the small things. Rather now this was convenient for the plan. Out of all the living Autobots on the Ark, most of them were rather dumb or battle ready, that's why Prime first suggestion was Ratchet. The medical officer seemed gloomy and had often spoke of wishing to be more useful for the Autobots.

"Well, here's your chance Ratchet." Wheeljack said before depositing his charge and running towards the door. "Keep it safe and, if you can, figure out it's purpose and it'll go away."

Ratchet's blue eyes met two smaller ones as Alice smiled up at him, he took a deep breath and uttered a single word.

"Frag."


	3. Chapter 3

"What exactly is your purpose on this Earth Alice?" Ratchet tried his usual approach on things; direct.

"To live an existence rich with an experience to uplift others, to strive to make a better Light-filled future until we are merged with the Soulless."

Ratchet stared at her, it was probably the most sensible thing she had ever said in his presence, but it made no sense to him. She looked entirely serious as she stood on his work table to meet his backlit gaze. Suddenly she burst out laughing.

"Nah, just kidding. We should eat some Goldfish."

Ratchet leaned back, "Goldfish? You eat the little swimming things?"

"Ewww, eat life? No way. I meant the little fish, you know," she sang the rest, "snack that smiles back. Goldfish!"

Ratchet stared at her, something wasn't right with this creature, "Will you go home if I tell you to?"

"I don't know maybe if I like you enough." Alice stated matter-of-factly. "I like you only about this much," she indicated a space about a foot wide, "But I have a feeling we'll grow to like each other a lot."

"Don't bet on it." Ratchet grumbled to himself, forgetting momentarily she could understand him.

"Okay, do you want to play a game?"

"Sure," Ratchet faked excitement, "It's called the sit down and shut up game."

"Oooh, Jewel and I played this game a lot." Alice put both hands on her cheeks, "It's so hard. I didn't know Transformers played it too."

"Okay, well, go." Ratchet stood up and moved away from the work table as Alice sat down. He had more to do in his life than guard some idiot alien. He wasn't too sure of how she came here but if she wasn't going to tell him her purpose than she could just stay here and sit in the corner until she rotted, he was sure that the Transformers would definitely outlive her.

A few Earth hours later Ratchet had completely forgotten about Alice, until of course Sideswipe yelled.

"Oh no, Ratchet's killed Alice."

She lay lifeless on the table like a pet that hadn't been fed for awhile, Ratchet suddenly went through every scenario in his head. The Autobots surely wouldn't notice her missing, but Sideswipe yes, perhaps he could take a giant magnet to the Autobot for an extended time after that he could make up any story.

But Alice merely rubbed her eyes and murmured, "Can we stop playing the game now?"

Ratchet blew out in relief and then got angry, "Sideswipe, if you have time to conspire with her you have time to take care of her, go do something with her for awhile."

"Awesome, I've always wanted to fool around with a human." Sideswipe leaned down and grinned at the sleepy girl, "C'mon Alice we're going for a ride."

"Yay." She spoke a little louder but one could still tell she was tired, "Can we get Goldfish?"

"Yeah, whatever they are."

"Yay." She willingly crawled into the Autobot's hand lifted her arm and in the same muted excitement continued, "Adventure."

Sideswipe fist-jabbed the air and shouted, "Adventure."

Those two idiots were meant for each other, Ratchet wondered why Optimus didn't put him in charge of things with the little imp.

In fact, why had Optimus put Ratchet in charge of her? Sure the Medical lab was secluded and sustained little to no damage but the Science and simulation lab also lay protected in the hull of the ark. Prowl or Wheeljack with their fascinations about the human race would be more suited to take care of Alice then Ratchet who didn't know heads or tails and didn't care to know. Then again, Prime had said something about her not being human.

For some reason, she couldn't leave his processor, no matter what she just kept coming up. Even when Wheeljack emerged from science lab he asked about her.

"Hey, where's the energy girl?"

"Off with Sideswipe somewhere, why?"

Wheeljack laughed his 'heh heh' laugh, "That explains the call, Prime says the Decepticons tried to attack Sideswipe and there was some kind of energy burst. We can't do anything about because there are too many humans in that area. Of course Sideswipe is okay, but it makes me wonder what they're up to."

Ratchet was just as intrigued, but for another reason, so he lay in wait for Sideswipe in his secret entrance to the Ark. It was easy to track which one he was using in down, as Alice was emitting some sort of energy wave.

"….I just knew we were going to have fun."

"We should play again sometimes." Alice's voice echoed around the service tunnel. Ratchet waited until they walked past him then gave Sideswipe a quick strike to the head, "Ow."

"I thought you were just taking her for a ride."

Sideswipe rubbed the dinged metal on the back of his head, "I did, and it's not my fault the Decepticons showed."

"You shouldn't have fought them."

"I didn't." Sideswipe flinched as Ratchet raised his hand again, "I mean, I didn't do all of it, Alice helped."

Sideswipe lifted up Alice, hoping perhaps she would calm the CMO down, she clutched a box of Goldfish crackers and was shoving them into her mouth occasionally, "No I didn't do all of them, but there were Children of Darkness in those robots, so I used my Light to make them go away."

"Aw, man you should've seen it Ratchet, the look on Starscreams face when he got punched by a little human girl. He didn't even…." Sideswipe trailed off when he saw Ratchet's face.

Ratchet snatched Alice away, a momentary protest from her in regards to her Goldfish went unnoted, "You're lucky I don't tell Prime about this."

"You can't, because then he'll know you let me have it." Sideswipe grinned at his sudden immunity, which didn't stop Ratchet from giving him a solid push over.

"Ratchet."

Ratchet stormed angrily away, of course he couldn't tell Prime, what a fool he was to even allow the buffoon to even touch her.

"Ratchet."

Not to mention the lie he told about Starscream, when Starscream wanted he could be a formidable fool a measly being like Alice could hardly hope to interfere with Starscream.

"Ratchet, don't be mad."

"I'm not mad." Ratchet replied angrily, Alice stare from her position of being grasped tightly in his hand. "Oh, I'm sorry."

"Don't worry I protected my Goldfish."

They were quiet for a moment as Ratchet walked back to the medical lab, and then Alice asked, "Am I in trouble?"

"You're more trouble than your worth, what will make you leave this planet?"

"I have to work out my purpose Ratchet, and what happens when your war ends?"

"I fear that will never happen."

"You know Ratchet; you're probably the bravest out of all the Autobots." Said so suddenly like that it made Ratchet nervous, but before he could even think to question it she continued; "Hey Ratchet wanna go on a picnic?"

And Ratchet became irritated once again.


	4. Chapter 4

"Wrong again, Starscream." Prime loomed over the foe, and dealt a solid blow, blue eyes livid and angry. It was a face Ratchet wished he would forget, a face he had seen far too often. One too fringed by hate. He recalled a different Optimus from a different time, but those times were over and Ratchet shouldn't think of them any more.

"You better run or I'm going to eat you!"

Ratchet in the heat of the battle and nursing the wound that Starscream gave his arm had forgotten about his charge. He blinked wonderingly down at the girl who had his arms up like Grimlock's vehicle mode. For once he merely looked down at her and walked past holding what was left of his arm.

"Help me move some things around I'll need your help to fix this botched arm."

Alice's face was unrecognizable scrunched up into a half snarl, yet she pranced after him and scaled his work table quite quickly. "Rawr!" was the only reply from her.

Surprisingly, the girl was a lot of help she needed only a brief description of the tools before lugging them with enormous his side. If Ratchet needed something steady she was there to pull it together, soon he no longer needed her help and she entertained herself next to him, ready to jump in at a moments notice. Ratchet couldn't help but feel a twinge of affection for the girl, she could be small, but she was certainly capable.

"So what exactly are you, Alice?" Ratchet attempted at conversation, still working on his arm.

"A dinosaur, graah!" she was perched so that her voice was just reaching his ears.

"Well, I mean," Ratchet had a hard time getting through to her even after her help, "Before that."

Alice stopped stomping on his bench in a fashion similar to Godzilla and stopped moving. She then lay with her feet in the air propped up against him. She had a peculiar face, still smiling but more as if the smile was frozen on her face, her eyes looked not at him but somewhere farther away.

"I am the Alice, I am a Child of Light, born on the faraway planet of Alyenca," her lilting voice only gave a little when she finished, "there are no more of me."

She said it so happily, Ratchet suddenly felt sad for the child and he stopped fixing his arm momentarily, "Child of Light what does that mean?"

"I was too young to truly know the meaning, but we are people of presence, of the unnameable, of the things beyond one body."

"And your kind, are they all like you?"

Alice lifted her arms up into the air, framing his curious frowning face with her fingers smiling a little, "No, not like the others. Mother told me when I was but a little Light that Alice was special, that Alice was different, that Alice was the one of the seven; _Alcyone_. I can do things to the Darkness that other Children are incapable of, that I was mystery I was a star-nymph forever bound to the sky. At least, that is what mother told me."

"How old were you? I mean, when it happened?"

"Mmm, about 128 years of Alyenca's sun, merely a sparkling by your terms." She replied nonchalantly, and suddenly he wondered if the pain ever went away or if she detached herself from it like every time he had to see someone die on his table. "My mother was the last, but she stays with me."

Ratchet was surprised at this statement, "What do you mean 'stays with me'?"

"The Light of our people, of every people, lives on so as one Child of Light remains," Alice was strangely philosophical, she folded her arms against her chest, "They live as I live, as long as I keep Light in my heart." She then turned to look up at him she met his gaze with her own beautiful eyes, "Just like you Ratchet, you keep them in your heart too."

Ratchet understood more than he ever let anyone realize, but he covered up his sudden emotional surge with a grumpy reply of; "Transformers don't have hearts."


	5. Chapter 5

Her eyes plagued Ratchet most. Eyes an energetic blue unlike any human Ratchet had seen before. Her eyes dilated as she looked at you. No, not "at" you. There was a light behind her eyes that drew everything to her; not just Ratchet but the other Autobots as well. Even now he found his attention drawn to her, sucked into her magnetic field it was hard to look away.

Of course, she was dancing. This isn't odd for a fleshie but she was doing it without "music".

"Alice, what are you doing?"

"I wanna go swimming." Alice spun around then moved her arms fluidly turning to face him.

"That isn't what I asked."

"I'm dancing to the beat of your heart." Alice clasped her hands together at her chest.

Ratchet frowned but didn't correct her, "If you'd like we can get Spike to bring you some things to do."

If words could be caught Ratchet would've slammed those words down to the floor, ground them under his foot and then incinerated them with an Energon cannon blast. Alice's face lit up and she shrilled when she replied, "You'll bring me an Audiobot?"

Ratchet shook his head, "No it's some little invention of the humans, it plays their music."

There was a metallic double ibang/i on the door and after a moment Jazz stepped in.

"Hey Alice."

"Hello Jazz have you come to play today?"

"Eh heh heh," Jazz smiled down at her but didn't answer, "Your patrol Ratchet."

Ratchet sighed and dropped his tools, a little frustrated, "And what am I supposed to do with her?"

Ratchet forgot once again that Alice could understand them, but if she was mad she didn't change her expression.

"I could take her."

Although Jazz was a soldier of honor and a lot better than Sideswipe as a caretaker the past still lingered on his memory circuits.

"No, there shouldn't be a problem." Ratchet stood and Alice was immediately underfoot. Ratchet cursed a little before he stepped aside. "Will you quit that?"

"But we're going on an adventure." Alice chirped.

Jazz laughed, "You two sure are getting along."

The speed car ducked in time but Ratchet's well aimed punch still grazed his shoulder.

The heat of the land that radiated off the cracked concrete was starting to wear on Ratchet's tread, the endless desert landscape was starting make him want to go home but Alice was surprisingly quiet.

Although Ratchet had to remove a side panel that served as a window Alice had her arms folded over, letting the outside wind blow her hair around. Perhaps too quiet.

"Alice, do you still function?"

The noise she made meant she was half asleep, then she lay her head down and opened her eyes, "I wanna go swimming."

"Hmmm, perhaps your internals are overheating." Ratchet projected his words through his internal systems not worrying about translating it for her, "We can go back to base if water will help you..."

Was she intentionally baiting him? Perhaps his own circuits were starting to fry.

Alice immediately perked up and grabbed her knees. "We don't need to go back to base, there is a special place nearby."

"A special place?"

"A pool under a claw cave, it glows in the dark."Alice pointed to the left, "It's that way."

"Alice I'm going to need more specific directions than that."

* * *

"Move away from me, I'm going to transform." Ratchet barked and Alice scampered away to give him clearance.

"Ratchet come on we're almost there." Alice was bounding; running back to him and then the canyon edge they had found.

Her excitement made Ratchet curious he bent down to let her into his hand before looking at the steep slope. "It would be poor judgment to go down. This crevice is not easy to escape from."

Alice melted him with her bright blue eyes, "I think you'll like it down there Ratchet I promise we'll get back up here."

Ratchet frowned Primus knows how this girl was talking him into it, but it was that excitement that made him want to run and see what exactly made this place "special".

Bracing Alice he slid feet first down the rocky edge, at the bottom he took a few steps to stop his momentum and then turned to Alice expectantly.

"Go left, you'll see."

There was just enough space for Ratchet to squeeze past the rocky sides, then he saw it; a dark opening of a hideaway. As he slid into the opening he had to stop and wonder at the interior.

A piece of Cybertron had fallen to Earth yet there was no energon readings and no metal casings around. Instead rock gave the appearance of shining metal pointing upwards like the hands of fallen soldiers. The water glowed and eerie blue, the color of liquid energon yet when Ratchet disturbed its surface it was mere water.

"It's like Cybertron right?" Alice had crawled from his hand and slid down his leg.

Ratchet hesitantly took his hand away from the glowing water, "Only in appearance."

Alice smiled up at him, "I knew you'd like it."

Ratchet frowned again, but what she said was true, he could sit here and imagine only for a moment that he was home.

"I'm going to go swimming." Alice screeched as she jumped in the pool the splashes echoing off the cavern walls.

_ Only for a moment._

After almost two Earth hours Ratchet finally stood, "Alice, we have to go. Patrol shift changes soon. Without us back they'll be after the Decepticons."

Alice got out of the water soaking wet with no complaint. Ratchet looked down at her dripping hair and clothing and sighed, "We'd better get you outside."

The sunlight streamed in through the entrance of the cavern, Ratchet's optics adjusted quickly as he scanned the ravine. "Now how are we going to get out of here?"

"In pieces Autobot."

Ratchet's first instinct was flight but as he turned he realized he could do nothing against the two Seekers.

Skywarp sneered down at him from above, leaning down to get a better look at the Autobot while Thundercracker stood above him arms folded but gun at the ready.

"Are those friends Ratchet?" Alice touched his foot as if reminding him that she was there.

"Get behind me Alice."

Skywarp stood, Ratchet instinctively knew he was going to jump down.

"Didn't know the Autobots were keeping pets now Ratchet." He sneered, "Maybe after I've ripped your circuits out I'll see what's inside of the human as well."

Ratchet took the opportunity of first fire and fired at the ground underneath Skywarps feet. The ravine's edge crumbled and Ratchet swooped Alice up as he ran to slid behind a rock.

"You need to stay here Alice."

She tried to protest but Ratchet shook his head, "I'm in charge of you, I need to protect you. Run back to base and tell them what happened"

He turned around quickly facing the two Decepticons. Thundercracker helped up Skywarp just as Ratchet began to seek higher ground.

** Now**, it is very hard to explain things in the eyes of Alice. Mainly because she only knows two things. Of all the energy beings in the universe she was one that only felt one emotion. Alice's just so happened to be joy. Joy and light was all she could see and anything that was negative usually was dark and bad. It frustrated Jewel to no end because as long as people were _happy_ doing wrong Alice would raise no hand against them. However, twisted happiness a morbid joy she could recognize as a mortal sin.

Skywarp and Thundercracker were mere children and Ratchet a plaything. Destroying was a giggle filled game for them. Although they had dark emotions like any other Decepticon it was only happiness a thrill of the hunt which could be seen. They were out of her jurisdiction.

However, Alice knew of only two emotions; happy and _not_ happy. Ratchet was her friend, the only one on Earth and Ratchet in his own way made her happy.

Alice liked happy.

Ratchet heard the sound of something going trans-sonic, a shrill scream of raw energy like a high pitched lightning strike. He was already battle worn from being knocked back down in the ravine. To his unprepared mind it was the shriek of an enemy.

A fast blue light jettisoned from nothing first struck Skywarp, the energy it release on him spread like an EMP bolt; overloading his circuits momentarily causing pain. Ratchet recognized it as a way medics would often calm unruly patients. Skywarp was pushed down and disoriented, it wouldn't be for long but it certainly was a turn in the battle. The energy blast veered out of Ratchets sight presumably to do the same to the other Seeker. Ratchet tried to get up but the arm he had patched mere days before was refusing to work properly.

Suddenly, the energy sphere was back and this time it spoke to him. Not faint shouting or projected excitement but like Alice was right next to his audio intake.

"Ratchet, you're injured."

He was confused for a moment by this statement, slackjaw at the sudden turn of events.

"I'm sorry Ratchet." Then just as suddenly the energy formed itself into a being.

He must have fallen harder than he thought. He sat down suddenly, holding his arm close to his chest. Alice crawled up to his injured side and seemed to glow like the water pool. Her body seemed crystalline and liquid all at once.

"What are you doing Alice?"

"Don't be mad Ratchet." was all she said before pressing her hand to his Autobot insignia, right above his energon chamber.

It was like a jolt from a regenerative patch or a sudden buzz from being over-energized. Suddenly Ratchet was fully aware, all functions flashed online then to full power. His arm immediately started its regenerative cycle and, almost as he watched, became fully healed. Ratchet turned to Alice in a strange bewilderment to ask what it was but he didn't get the chance.

Alice dimmed and suddenly returned to normal. She collapsed against his armor; limp and unmoving. In this state Ratchet probably could've ran circles around the now incapacitated Seekers and most of the Decepticon group. But Alice was unresponsive, whatever she had done, whatever that energy was she used it as a means to an end. That end would have to be the Ark.

Ratchet scaled the edge with ease, using the fallen rock of the battle. His mind was merely on returning to base and the speed in which he moved probably would have even surprised his old friend Prime.

It was only once the drug-like energy wore off that he realized he should have questioned what happened. But by then he was in the Ark stepping through the entrance where Prime awaited him.

"Ratchet."

Ratchet waved away his concern and offer of help away, "I was engaged in combat, Alice did something strange and gave me the means of escaping."

Optimus and Ratchet moved away from the crew to speak and Ratchet briefed him on the entire affair. Afterward, Prime settled back in disappointment.

"It is as I feared Ratchet. Alice is liken unto our Matrix, a creature of energy. Perhaps this is merely her host."

Ratchet shook his head, "I'm not really concerned about Decepticons, what matters now is Alice's recovery."

But even Ratchet did not have long to be concerned, Alice woke up within a few hours of their return.

"Hey Ratchet, can I have an Audiobot now?"

You could say everything was back to normal.


End file.
